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SUPPLIER TOOLKIT

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 31 October 2011  

Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management (AFIRM) Group

RELEASES 2011 SUPPLER RSL TOOLKIT 

Leading brands in the apparel and footwear industry that participate in the Apparel & Footwear International RSL Management Group (AFIRM) have completed and published the second edition of its RSL Supplier Implementation Toolkit.  The 2011 Supplier Toolkit is a substantial improvement on the first version of the toolkit published in October 2008.  Newly added content, requested by the supply chain, includes examples of restricted substance failures in apparel and footwear products with corrective actions taken to eliminate them.  Also available for the first time is a chemical guidance document containing detailed technical information about restricted substances in the apparel and footwear production process.  The revised toolkit is primarily focused on the elimination of restricted substances from finished products, but extensive information about chemical discharge into wastewater, air emissions, and solid waste is available in the chemical guidance document.  The next version of the toolkit will focus on the possible discharge of restricted substances into the environment throughout the entire product lifecycle in addition to their elimination from finished products. 

In 2004, a group of companies began working to bring together product chemistry, safety, regulatory and other experts within the apparel and footwear industry.  These companies formed the Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management (AFIRM) Working Group; current membership includes adidas-Group, C&A, Gap Inc., H&M, Hugo Boss, Levi Strauss & Co., New Balance, Nike, Pentland, PUMA, s.Oliver, Timberland, VF Corporation, and Warnaco.  The mission of the AFIRM Group is to reduce the use and impact of harmful substances in the apparel and footwear supply chain.  Their vision is to be a recognized global center of excellence, providing resources for sustainable, self-governing RSL implementation across the apparel and footwear supply chain.  This will result in the supply chain having knowledge about RSL and chemical safety, assuring that consumers and workers are safer from the impact of harmful substances, and a cleaner environment.  Each of the companies has developed its own guidelines for managing chemicals in textile supply chains, and some continue to provide training to their own suppliers.     

The toolkit is available to the public for download at the AFIRM website: http://www.afirm-group.com/supplierrsltool.htm.  Suppliers at all levels of the apparel and footwear supply chain are encouraged to use the toolkit as a reference for understanding the sources of and eliminating restricted substances from apparel and footwear production processes.  Translated versions in multiple languages are forthcoming. 

Contact:  Elizabeth Treanor, Director, AFIRM- etreanor@phylmar.com; +1.916.486.4415

 
  Disclaimer: The Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management (AFIRM) Group has developed this Restricted Substances List (RSL) Toolkit as part of its mission, “to reduce the use and impact of harmful substances in the apparel and footwear supply chain.” This RSL Toolkit provides an overview of basic information on how to begin to implement an RSL program, which is a highly customized process that depends on many factors, including the products being produced and where they are sold. Many brands also have implementation guidelines, and suppliers must follow those guidelines, where available. The reader should not rely on this document to address specific questions that apply to a particular set of facts: All questions should be directed to the specific brand company whose products are at issue. There is no warranty, express or implied, as to the completeness or utility of the information in this document, including, without limitation, that the information contained herein will be error-free. In addition, AFIRM assumes no liability of any kind whatsoever resulting from the use of or reliance upon the contents of this document.